High pressure plunger

ABSTRACT

A plunger includes a lever, a pipe, a rod passed through an axial hole of the pipe, a covering member, and a spring; the rod will be upwards displaced when the lever is pivoted upwards; the rod has a passage therein, and a head at an upper end for connection with an air pump; the covering member has a neck, and an outlet on a lower side; the pipe is inserted in the neck; two airtight rings are secured on an inner side of the neck; the rod is normally biased to a lowermost position by the spring; the lower end of the rod will block the outlet, and the passage will communicate with inside of the covering member when the rod is in lowermost position; when the lever is pivoted upwards, high-pressure air will escape through the outlet to push a blockage in a drain tube of a sink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a high pressure plunger for use ondrain, sink, and toilet, more particularly one, which is structured insuch a way as to be suitable for use together with an air pump to getrid of a blockage with high-pressure air.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

A simplest conventional plunger includes a handle, and an invertedrubber bowl joined to a lower end of the handle. A blockage in a pipe isloosened, and got rid of by means of exerting suction and air pressureon the blockage repeatedly with the plunger. However, suction and airpressure producible with the plunger isn't very great, and it ispossible that a blockage remains in a pipe after having been slightlymoved with the plunger.

The inventor of the present invention taught an improvement on aplunger, and was granted U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,301 for making thisimprovement. The plunger includes an upper base, a pressure ball underthe upper base, a correlative tubular shaft extending vertically throughthe pressure ball, a handle pivotally connected with an upper end of thecorrelative tubular shaft, a connecting rod connects to the correlativeshaft, and a lower end stopper threadedly connected with the lower endof the connecting rod. The pressure ball can store air supplied by anair pump or compressor through an air inlet. The handle can be operatedto move the correlative tubular shaft away from the upper opening of theconnecting rod, thus letting the air stored in the pressure ball flowthrough the correlative shaft, the connecting rod and the lower endstopper into a clogged pipe or drain for clearing passage with a largeforce of pressured air.

However, because air stored in the pressure ball will travel a longdistance through a narrow passage before it flows through the lower endstopper, and because the opening of the lower end stopper is small, theplunger still can't get rid of a blockage in a pipe or toileteffectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of the invention to provide an improvement on aplunger to overcome the above-mentioned problem. The plunger of theinvention includes a lever, a pipe, a rod passed through an axial holeof the pipe, a covering member, and a spring. The rod is joined to thelever such that it will be upwards displaced when the lever is pivotedupwards. The rod has a passage therein, and a head at an upper end forconnection with an air pump. The covering member has a neck, and anoutlet on a lower side. The pipe is inserted in the neck at a lower end.Two airtight rings are secured on an inner side of the neck. The rod isnormally biased to a lowermost position by the spring. The lower end ofthe rod will block the outlet, and the passage will communicate withinside of the covering member when the rod is in the lowermost position.When the lever is pivoted upwards, high-pressure air will escape throughthe outlet of the covering member to push a blockage in a drain tube ofa sink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodimentof a plunger according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the first preferred embodiment,

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of the first embodiment being in use,

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the second preferred embodiment,

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of the second embodiment being used,

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of the second embodiment equipped withanother shape of rubber supplementary covering member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first preferred embodiment of a plunger inthe present invention includes a supporting member 1, a lever 2, a pipe3, a connecting rod 4, and a covering member 5.

The lever 2 is positioned under, and pivoted to the supporting member 1.The pipe 3 is passed through, and joined to the supporting member 1 atan upper end thereof.

The connecting rod 4 has a passage 41 therein, a cone-shaped tail end45, and a coupling head 42 joined to an upper end thereof for connectionwith an air pump. The passage 41 communicates with inside of thecoupling head 42, and it has an outlet portion, which is a certaindistance from the cone-shaped tail end 45 of the connecting rod 4. Theconnecting rod 4 is passed through an axial hole of the pipe 3 with thelower end thereof projecting out from a lower end of the pipe 3, and itis connected to the lever 2 such that it will be upwards displacedrelative to the pipe 3 when the lever 2 is pivoted upwards.

The covering member 5 has a holding room 51 therein, and it has a neckportion 52 on an upper side thereof, and an air outlet hole 54 on alower side. The neck portion 52 has an axial hole in communication withthe holding room 51, and two airtight rings 53 secured on an inner sidethereof.

In assembly, the covering member 5 is securely joined to the lower endof the pipe 3 at the neck portion 52 thereof, and the connecting rod 4is passed through the neck portion 52. And, a spring 44 is positionedaround the connecting rod 4 in the holding room 51, and a stopping ring43 is secured around a portion of the connecting rod 4 that is betweenthe outlet portion 45 of the passage 41 and the cone-shaped tail end 45;thus, the spring 44 can't fall off the connecting rod 4, and theconnecting rod 4 is normally biased to a lowermost position by means ofthe spring 44; when the connecting rod 4 is biased to the lowermostposition, the cone-shaped tail end 45 will block the air outlet hole 54of the covering member 5 to prevent air from traveling through the airoutlet hole 54, and the outlet portion of the passage 41 will be underboth of the airtight rings 53, allowing air to travel into the holdingroom 51 from the passage 41. When the connecting rod 4 is displaced awayfrom the lowermost position by means of pivoting the lever 2, the outletportion of the passage 41 will be between the airtight rings 53, and aircan't travel into the holding room 51 of the covering member 5 from thepassage 41.

To use the plunger, referring to FIG. 3, first an air pump is connectedto the coupling head 42 of the connecting rod 4, and the plunger ispositioned such that the covering member 5 covers a plughole of a sink.Next, air is pumped into the holding room 51 of the covering member 5through the passage 41 of the connecting rod 4 such that the holdingroom 51 contains high-pressure air. And, the lever 2 is pivoted upwardssuch that the connecting rod 4 moves away from the outlet hole 54 of thecovering member 5, and the cone-shaped tail end 45 no longer blocks theoutlet hole 54. Finally, the lever 2 is released so that the connectingrod 3 is displaced to the lowermost position by the spring 44, and sealsthe outlet hole 54 again, and air is allowed to travel into the holdingroom 51 from the outlet portion of the passage 41 again. Thus, thehigh-pressure air in the holding room 51 travels through the plughole ofthe sink, and pushes a blockage formed in a drain tube connected to theplughole; the lever 1 is pivoted upwards and released repeatedly untilthe blockage is got rid of.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second preferred embodiment of theinvention includes a supporting member 1, a lever 2, a connecting rod 4,and a covering member 5. The lever 2 is positioned under, and pivoted tothe supporting member 1. The connecting rod 4 has a passage 41 therein,a cone-shaped tail end 45, and a coupling head joined to an upper endthereof for connection with an air pump. The passage 41 communicateswith inside of the coupling head, and it has an outlet portion, which isbetween upper and lower ends of the connecting rod 4. The connecting rod4 is connected to the lever 2 such that it will be upwards displacedwhen the lever 2 is pivoted upwards. The covering member 5 has a holdingroom therein, a through hole (not numbered) on an upper end, and an airoutlet hole 54 on a lower end. Two airtight rings 53 are secured in theupper through hole of the covering member 5.

In assembly, the connecting rod 4 is passed through the upper throughhole of the covering member 5, and a spring 44 is positioned around theconnecting rod 4, and a stopping ring 43 is secured around theconnecting rod 4, under the spring 44; thus, the spring 44 can't falloff the connecting rod 4, and the connecting rod 4 is normally biased toa lowermost position by means of the spring 44 such that the cone-shapedtail end 45 blocks the air outlet hole 54 of the covering member 5; whenthe connecting rod 4 is biased to the lowermost position, the outletportion of the passage 41 will be under both of the airtight rings 53,allowing air to travel into the covering member 5 from the passage 41.When the connecting rod 4 is displaced away from the lowermost position,the outlet portion of the passage 41 will be between the airtight rings53, and air can't travel into the covering member 5 from the passage 41.Thus, the second preferred embodiment can be used in the same way as thefirst preferred embodiment to get rid of a blockage in a pipe.

Furthermore, the invention is equipped with a supplementary coveringmember 55, which is made of rubber, and joined to the lower end of thecovering member 5, and which has several annular wall portions 551 on alower side, such that when the plunger is used to get rid of a blockagein a pipe of a sink, there will certainly be an airtight joint betweenthe plunger and the sink.

Referring to FIG. 6, another supplementary covering member 55′ isprovided for use instead of the one 55, which has a slightly differentshape from the one 55.

From the above description, it can be seen that according to the presentinvention, high pressure air is stored next to the outlet hole of thecovering member, and will arrive at a blockage in a pipe rapidly afterit is released, the drawback of the prior plunger as described inBackground is overcome.

1. An improvement on a plunger, comprising a supporting member; a leverpositioned under, and pivoted to the supporting member; a pipe passedthrough, and joined to the supporting member at an upper end thereof; aconnecting rod; the connecting rod being passed through an axial hole ofthe pipe with a lower end thereof projecting out from a lower end of thepipe; the connecting rod being connected to the lever such that it willbe upwards displaced relative to the pipe when the lever is pivotedupwards; the connecting rod having a coupling head joined to an upperend thereof for connection with an air pump; the connecting rod having apassage therein, which communicates with inside of the coupling head,and which has an outlet portion; the connecting rod having a cone-shapedlower end; the connecting rod having a stopping ring secured around aportion thereof that is between the outlet portion of the passage andthe cone-shaped lower end; a covering member having a holding room; thecovering member having a neck portion on an upper side thereof, and anair outlet hole on a lower side; the neck portion having an axial holein communication with the holding room; the covering member beingsecurely joined to the lower end of the pipe at the neck portion thereofwith the connecting rod being passed through the axial hole of the neckportion; two airtight rings secured on an inner side of the neck portionof the covering member; and a spring positioned between the neck portionof the covering member and the stopping ring secured on the connectingrod for biasing the connecting rod downwards; the connecting rod beinggoing to be biased to a lowermost position by means of the spring whenthe lever isn't used; the cone-shaped tail end being going to block theair outlet hole of the covering member when the connecting rod is biasedto the lowermost position; the outlet portion of the passage being goingto be under both of the airtight rings, allowing air to travel into theholding room from the passage, when the connecting rod is biased to thelowermost position; the outlet portion of the passage being going to bebetween both of the airtight rings when the connecting rod is displacedupwards away from the lowermost position by means of pivoting the leverupwards; air being going to be stopped from traveling into the coveringmember from the passage when the outlet portion of the passage isbetween both of the airtight rings.
 2. An improvement on a plunger,comprising a supporting member; a lever positioned under, and pivoted tothe supporting member; a connecting rod; the connecting rod beingconnected to the lever such that it will be upwards displaced relativeto the pipe when the lever is pivoted upwards; the connecting rod havinga coupling head joined to an upper end thereof for connection with anair pump; the connecting rod having a passage therein, whichcommunicates with inside of the coupling head; the passage having anoutlet portion; the connecting rod having a cone-shaped lower end; theconnecting rod having a stopping ring secured around a portion thereofthat is between the outlet portion of the passage and the cone-shapedlower end; a covering member having a holding room; the covering memberhaving a through hole on an upper side thereof; the covering memberhaving an air outlet hole on a lower side; two airtight rings secured inthe upper through hole of the covering member; and a spring positionedbetween the neck portion of the covering member and the stopping ringsecured on the connecting rod for biasing the connecting rod downwards;the connecting rod being passed through the upper through hole of thecovering member; the connecting rod being going to be biased to alowermost position by means of the spring when the lever isn't used; thecone-shaped tail end of the connecting rod being going to block the airoutlet hole of the covering member when the connecting rod is biased tothe lowermost position; the outlet portion of the passage being going tobe under both of the airtight rings, allowing air to travel into theholding room from the passage, when the connecting rod is biased to thelowermost position; the outlet portion of the passage being going to bebetween both of the airtight rings when the connecting rod is displacedupwards away from the lowermost position by means of pivoting the leverupwards; air being going to be stopped from traveling into the coveringmember from the passage when the outlet portion of the passage isbetween both of the airtight rings.
 3. The plunger as claimed in claim1, wherein a supplementary covering member is joined to the lower end ofthe covering member, which supplementary covering member is made ofrubber, and has a plurality of annular wall portions on a lower side. 4.The plunger as claimed in claim 2, wherein a supplementary coveringmember made of rubber is joined to the lower end of the covering member;the supplementary covering member having a plurality of annular wallportions on a lower side thereof.